WHEELIN' EM IN’
Cops to ‘reckless’ ATV, dirt-bike thugs: We’re looking for you!
Hub cops are sending a clear message to the roving gangs of dirt-bike and ATV riders that have been terrorizing residents in Roxbury, Mattapan and North Dorchester during the spring and summer months — we’ll be out in full force this year and are prepared to launch large-scale operations to get you off the streets.
A recent joint effort between the Boston Police Department Auto Theft Unit and the environmental police resulted in the seizure of three off-road vehicles and the arrests of several members of an unruly crew of dirt bikers who were caught speeding around the city on unregistered — and even stolen — all-terrain vehicles. The operation, police say, came on the heels of an incident involving a group of 20 daredevils who were “recklessly operating dirt bikes, ATVs, and mopeds in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and American Legion Highway.”
“After riding wheelies, failing to obey traffic signals, weaving between traffic, and operating on sidewalks near pedestrians, one of these individuals abandoned his dirt bike, fled from police, and while doing so, pulled down his pants and underwear to expose himself to police and nearby members of the public,” police wrote yesterday.
And though the disrespectful illegal rider got away, police noted that the unregistered and uninsured dirt bike he abandoned was towed from the scene.
“In the first week of this ongoing operation, officers seized and impounded three off-road vehicles,” police wrote. “In the coming spring and summer months, the BPD Auto Theft Unit looks forward to working with multiple state and local agencies to ensure a safe and peaceful summer for Boston’s citizens.”
This isn’t the first time local authorities have targeted dragracers and motorists who embrace the outlaw lifestyle — referred to as “Bike Life” by dirt-bike gangs across the country. More than 220 illegal machines were taken off the road in 2015, according to Boston police spokeswoman Rachel McGuire. The crackdown continued into last year, when McGuire said police made 60 arrests and took “a significant number” of illegal ATVs and dirt bikes off the road.
Local residents who are fed up with the free-wheeling crews applauded the police for making the nuisance a top priority.
“They are terrible. I see them all the time, especially during rush hour,” said Tony Randall, 56, of South Boston. “It’s very unsafe. They wait and circle.”
Maria Spinola of Dorchester said she worries about the example the scofflaws are setting for young kids.
“I have two boys and when my boys see this, they want me to buy them a bike,” she said. “It’s very dangerous, especially in the summer time — and they’ve started already.